Alert officials from the General Authority of Customs (GAC) apprehended a large quantity of drugs, liquor, chewing tobacco and other prohibited substances during the holy month of Ramadan, reported Gulf Times.

Customs officers at Hamad Port and Hamad International Airport (HIA) managed to foil attempts to smuggle into the country 21,616 bottles of liquor, over 19 tonnes of chewing tobacco and 17kg of the illicit drug marijuana.

Ahmed Abdullah Al Jamal, Chairman of Qatar Customs, honoured seven inspectors who played a crucial role in confiscating these items, reported The Peninsula.

“The Customs department is supporting its employees at all ports and is providing them with continuous training in order to enhance their expertise,” he said.

Customs officials at the Hamad Port confiscated more than 19 tonnes of chewing tobacco in three separate operations. The tobacco was found hidden inside consignments of wooden doors and electronics. The seizures amounted to 12 tonnes, 6 tonnes and 1.16 tonnes.

A thorough scan on the wooden doors revealed 12 tonnes of chewing tobacco hidden inside, stacked in small bags. Tobacco was also found in two other consignments of loudspeakers and electronics, hidden and packed in the same way.

Meanwhile, 21,616 liquor bottles, camouflaged as a consignment of olive oil, was also seized by the customs. The liquor bottles were of the same size and weight as the olive oil the cartons were meant to be carrying.

In a third development, 17kg of marijuana was seized at HIA in three different operations. Customs officers detected the contraband inside the luggage and handbags of three travellers using the same method. The marijuana was hidden in their personal belongings and folded inside carbon paper.